Apple today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor. According to the company, Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 which expands Apple's ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats and iChat Theater support for real-time collaboration. Motion 4 includes enhanced tools such as 3D shadows, reflections and depth of field for stunning motion graphics and visual effects, and Soundtrack Pro 3 features new multitrack audio tools to streamline audio post production. Color 1.5 includes better Final Cut Pro integration and support for full color resolution, and Compressor 3.5 adds new features that make it easy to set up and customize your export options.

"With 1.4 million users and 50 percent of the market, Final Cut Pro is the number one professional video editing application," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The new Final Cut Studio includes more than 100 new features and dramatically expands Apple's ProRes family of codecs so editors can work in the studio with the highest quality video or on location at low bandwidths."

Final Cut Studio is available now for a suggested retail price of $999. Existing Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Pro users can upgrade for $299.

Apple today also introduced Final Cut Server 1.5, the asset management and automation tool for Final Cut Studio. Final Cut Server 1.5 includes powerful new features like lightweight, offline editing with ProRes Proxy, production hierarchies to organize media, and support for still sequences to easily view and manage image sequences for graphics and effects workflows. Final Cut Server now includes unlimited client licenses and is available for $999 or as a $299 upgrade for existing users.

I've never used Final Cut, but for those that have or know more about it, why did you pick it over Adobe CS3/CS4? ...and why do you think it's better (or not better)? I'm just asking, not saying one is better/worse than the other.

PPro and FCP basically include the same feature set and learning curve, but I went with FCP because everyone that I know friend and industry wise uses it. Therefore, my support network was going to be much greater with FCS. It really is the industry standard in may ways. I will say that PPro costs less and integrates better with PS and AE though. If you're a big Adobe user, that's something you should definitely consider._________________http://www.hawaiimacnuts.org